Jackson Free Press

Norma Ruth's is a small establishment tucked tight into a little plaza between a clothing store and a barbershop on Ellis Avenue. But don't let the size or location of Norma Ruth's give you any preconceived notions of the fare offered—the food, referred to as "Cuisine by Chef Brian Myrick," rivals the menus at many high-end restaurants. In fact, Myrick learned his trade at Char and Anjou.

The restaurant itself is a tiny little space that is mostly kitchen—some 450 square feet. Norma Ruth's offers no in-house dining; everything is takeout, and customers order their food through a small porthole into the kitchen. This is not fast food, though. "Everything is cooked to order, and the average wait is 12 minutes," says John "Stax" Tierre, the owner of Norma Ruth's.

Norma Ruth's namesake is Tierre's grandmother, who was famous for her cooking. The "since 1977" date on the marquee refers to when Norma Ruth turned her passion for cooking into a business, when she began to sell her food.

The sign for Norma Ruth's proclaims "World Famous Hamburgers & Chicken," but these items occupy only a small portion on the menu. Seafood is a main staple on the menu, which offers grilled shrimp or chicken, catfish, tilapia, salads with homemade dressings, and sandwiches including catfish and pan trout.

I took the blackened tilapia home to my fish-hating wife and told her it was chicken so she would try it. She became a believer! The restaurant also offers a kids menu and a turkey burger for those who don't want red meat. Side orders include the ubiquitous French fries—but also my favorite sweet potato fries, along with rice, fired pickles, steamed broccoli, a vegetable medley and garlic bread.

Tierre calls Norma Ruth's, along with the other enterprises he owns, his own personal "West Jackson revitalization program, bringing jobs and opening new business in an area where that doesn't happen every day."

He also relishes the idea of exposing people to new things.

"Believe it or not, some people over here weren't familiar with grilled food, or squash or zucchini," he says.

Tierre looked at Norma Ruth's as a challenge—he wanted to bring good, healthy food to an under-served market that was unfamiliar with this type of food. He had available space, albeit small, and he figured, "I can get the same food and equipment as the big guys; I can give the same taste, and keep the cost low because of low overhead," he says.

So although you don't go to Norma Ruth's for a sit-down meal, it does have a certain ambiance. The tiny waiting area features an eclectic painting in Norma Ruth's colors of yellow and green of the Lord's Supper serving fried chicken with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela in attendance. And what you really go to Norma Ruth's for is good food—food that is made fresh to take home or back to the office to share with family and friends.